


I want to see you everyday.

by fade131



Category: B.A.P
Genre: ??I guess is the right tag, Alternate Universe - Historical, Developing Relationship, M/M, this is just supposed to be cute, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-11 21:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5641801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fade131/pseuds/fade131
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Royal advisor Yongguk is assigned a new assistant. Daehyun is both what he expected, and not at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I want to see you everyday.

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [the_brownie_bunch_4](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/the_brownie_bunch_4) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
> Trigger warning: None  
> Character/Pairings: Bangdae  
> Description: royal au where yongguk is a royal advisor and daehyun is a young servant boy who gets ink all over the scrolls and runs in the palace hallways when nobody's looking.

Yongguk looks up from his work when the door to his private offices slides open. The boy in the doorway does not meet his gaze, but keeps his eyes locked on the floor, his long dark hair hiding his face. The person behind him pushes him forward, and Yongguk sets aside his brush as Himchan steps into the room.

The king’s head of household smiles at him serenely. “Yongguk, I’m glad to find you. This is Jung Daehyun – he’s our newest scribe. Since you had mentioned you needed an assistant, I thought he might be of use to you.”

Yongguk looks the boy over again, taking in his clasped hands and his small frame, the way he gnaws at his bottom lip in apprehension. “Of course,” he says softly, not acknowledging the sly smile on Himchan’s face. “Thank you for thinking of me. I’m sure he’ll do nicely.”

Daehyun looks up at that, and Yongguk is treated to the surprised look on his heart-stoppingly lovely face, the boy’s dark eyes wide and his lips parted, before he bows hastily.

“I’ll do my best,” he stammers out, and Yongguk finds himself fighting a smile. Himchan gives him a knowing look that he doesn’t appreciate in the slightest before sweeping out of the room, leaving them alone. 

After a moment, Yongguk shakes his head to clear it, sighing. “Right, well, let’s get you to work.”

**

Daehyun settles into his roll quickly. He takes notes diligently, and records Yongguk’s dictations in a steady hand. He is prompt, and although he’s shy at first, once he grows used to their arrangement he does not hesitate to voice his thoughts – and Yongguk finds him bright, well-read, fascinating, beautiful.

Of course, he also discovers in short order why Himchan assigned the boy to him. This is his revenge, Yongguk thinks, for the time Yongguk spilled plum wine on him in front of the whole court.

Daehyun’s fingers are perpetually smudged with ink. Whenever Yongguk gets lost in thought, Daehyun takes the extra time to doodle fanciful creatures in the margins of whatever scroll he happens to be working on, be it a letter to a noble or a law drafted for the king to sign. Daehyun spills his ink on an almost daily basis, always startled when it happens despite the precarious state he keeps his writing desk in, fretting and whispering curses as he blots at the purple-black rivers drowning out his words. More than once, Yongguk’s sent him on an errand only to hear him run pell-mell down the halls with no regard for the decorum of the court.

Yongguk looks up at the ceiling of his office, and asks for patience.

“I thought you’d have demanded I replace him by now,” Himchan says the next time their paths cross, Yongguk on his way to a meeting with the king.

“Replace who?” he asks, and Himchan’s eyebrows shoot up.

“You know who.”

Yongguk considers pressing the issue, but there’s a shout from the corridor they’re passing, and the sound of running feet, and he looks just in time to see Daehyun nearly bowl over a poor maid carrying a load of laundry. He bows to her hurriedly, cheeks red, before flying off down the hallway again, back towards their offices. His long dark hair is unbound and streaming behind him, and Yongguk thinks he saw a streak of ink smeared across the bridge of his nose. He sighs.

“Shall I see about someone else, then?” Himchan asks, sounding more amused than he has any right to be.

Yongguk scowls at him, pushing open the door to the king’s apartments. “Don’t be ridiculous. Daehyun serves me just fine.”

It’s foolish, perhaps. He’s costing himself productivity, and the waste of ink and paper is absurd, and he should just tell Himchan to send him another servant who isn’t quite so – Daehyun. But Yongguk thinks he’s already grown too accustomed to Daehyun’s presence to get rid of him now. Daehyun always smiles, and bids him good morning and good night, and makes sure he eats at the proper times instead of forgetting to eat at all, and his insights are often surprising.

Yongguk thinks, he would miss him.

**

Daehyun is subdued the next day. He’s right on time as always, but he keeps his head down, taking his place at his little desk and tucking his robes under his knees. He ties back his sleeves, methodical and quiet, and Yongguk can see he’s scrubbed all the ink from his fingers. His hair is bound back in a braid that slips over his shoulder when he turns, and Yongguk watches him in silence as he sets out his inks and paper, preparing for the day.

“Daehyun, come here,” Yongguk says finally, when he’s finished, and Daehyun looks up, startled, before his eyes drop to the floor once more. He moves obediently, coming to stand before Yongguk’s desk, his hands clenched tight against his sides. He’s biting his bottom lip again, worrying it until the skin is swollen and red. Before Yongguk can think of what to say, Daehyun opens his mouth, words tumbling out in an agonized rush.

“I’m so sorry. I know I haven’t been any good – I make a mess and I’m always talking and you told me not to run in the halls because it’s not appropriate behavior in the palace but sometimes when you send me on errands I get distracted and then I’m late if I don’t run and—”

“Daehyun—” Yongguk tries to interrupt, but the boy barrels on, his eyes screwed tightly shut, head bowed.

“—I don’t mean to, I really don’t, I don’t want to be trouble, I want to try my hardest for you, I can work hard, I know I’m not any good but please don’t send me back—”

Yongguk realizes the wobble in Daehyun’s voice isn’t just from speaking so quickly. “Daehyun, wait a minute—”

Daehyun shakes his head harshly, and when he looks up there are tears in his eyes. “Please don’t send me away. Everyone in the palace knows I’m a nuisance now, they won’t want me either – please, please let me stay with you—”

“ _Daehyun_. I’m not sending you anywhere. Where did you hear such a thing?”

The boy hitches in a trembling breath, and sobs, his thin shoulders shaking. He reaches up to rub at his eyes angrily, stammering something unintelligible as he scrubs at his cheeks. Yongguk presses his lips together, watching him uncertainly, unsure what he could – or should – do. But Daehyun manages to master himself, taking a few deep, shaky breaths and closing his eyes.

When Yongguk thinks he’s calmed down enough, he says gently, “I’m not sending you away.”

Daehyun sniffles, and nods, rubbing at his eyes again. “Thank you,” he manages, his voice thick.

Yongguk sighs and motions for him finally, pushing his chair back. “Come here,” he orders again, and Daehyun shuffles around his desk hesitantly until he’s within reach. Yongguk reaches up to smooth the last stray tears from beneath his eyes, and the boy leans into his touch. Daehyun trembles when he carefully brushes an escaped strand of hair back behind his ear, and not for the first time, Yongguk thinks about how Daehyun would feel in his arms – small and warm and perfect. 

“Now, I don’t know what sort of gossip is spreading around the palace, but you’re not to pay it any mind,” he says carefully, and Daehyun nods, quick and obedient. “If I minded a few mistakes, I would have replaced you long before now. But…”

Daehyun bites his lip, and a hundred thoughts flash through Yongguk’s mind. He’s grown attached. He’s used to the company, and he knows Himchan will just foist someone awful on him in retaliation if he tries to get rid of Daehyun now. What does a little spilled ink matter, in the long run? He’s comfortable with Daehyun, and he wishes he could explain it without words, that it’s easy to work with Daehyun there, that Daehyun brightens his day after long hours spent with the king and his dour fellow advisors. 

“We fit together, I think,” Daehyun interrupts, his voice unnaturally small, quiet. “It’s – if you don’t mind me screwing up – it’s better. You smiles sometimes. Himchan says, you didn’t before.”

Yongguk can think of a few choice things he’ll have to say to Himchan the next time they speak, but right now he has more important things to deal with.

“I suppose you’re right,” he says softly, then sighs. “Well, whatever I let you get away with in here, you do have to start acting with a big more decorum where everyone else in the palace can see you.”

Daehyun flushes to the tips of his ears and ducks his head.

“Why don’t I give you a reminder, hm?” Yongguk says, and without waiting for an answer, he takes Daehyun’s hand in a firm grip and turns it over, exposing the delicate skin of his wrist. Daehyun sucks in a little breath, confused, and watches him with wide eyes as Yongguk picks up his brush once more, dipping it in ink and setting it to Daehyun’s soft skin. In careful strokes, he writes ‘do not run in the halls’ on the inside of Daehyun’s wrist, then sets his brush aside, leaning in to blow on the ink so it will dry. When he lets go again, Daehyun’s cheeks are cherry red.

“Do you think you’ll remember?” Yongguk asks, a little surprised that his voice is steady. 

Daehyun takes a breath, examining the writing on his skin. “I might need – more reminders,” he finally manages, his eyes flicking up to meet Yongguk’s, gauging his reaction. His blush is fading slowly, and when Yongguk arches an eyebrow at him he grins.

“We’ll see,” Yongguk says firmly, and turns back to his desk, shuffling through his papers. “I need you to copy out these letters,” he starts, and Daehyun takes them from him readily as he explains the rest of the morning’s work.

“Of course, hyung,” Daehyun says sweetly when he has his orders, and the little grin on his lips is so impish and knowing that Yongguk almost asks him what _else_ Himchan’s been saying about him, but then Daehyun plants a firm kiss on his cheek and Yongguk’s mind goes startlingly blank. Daehyun slips away easily to sit at his desk, humming to himself as he settles in to begin his work.

Yongguk’s cheeks burn, and he stares at his papers for a long time before he can really see them. When he looks up finally, Daehyun is copying out the first letter, the tip of his tongue caught between his teeth as his brush forms the words, neat and smooth.

It’s different, but everything with Daehyun has been different. Yongguk thinks, he can get used to this, too.


End file.
